ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: track · bank · cold · shower · ground · band · current · date

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. shower — rain
  3. current — happening now
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. band — a music group
  6. track — a path
  7. bank — of a river
  8. date — the fruit
  9. track — to keep track
  10. ground — the earth
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. current — electric
  14. ground — a position
  15. shower — to wash
  16. track — a song
  17. current — of water
  18. bank — for money
  19. bank — for money
  20. band — a ring
  21. ground — crushed
  22. cold — an illness
  23. cold — not warm
  24. band — a rubber band

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com